Blackhawk777

What do you all think the best buffer out there is? I'm kindof torn between the porter cable and a makita 7" buffer from my previous job.

tbonebuggs

I went with the porter cable and it works great.

Fast_94_Z

iTrader: (12)

if you have no idea how to use a high speed rotary get the porter cable because then you can guarentee you wont screw your paint up. as for a rotary i would go dewalt. i had the makita and got rid of it due to having premature wear twice.

PSU 98

iTrader: (4)

That's comparing apples to oranges. The PC is a random orbital buffer whereas the Makita 9227 is a rotary. I think they both have their place in detailing, so what do you intend to use it for?

Steve P

iTrader: (6)

If your just looking for use on your own personal cars, a PC or UDM will suit you just fine. Both are user friendly and you can not burn the clear coat with either version. With them, you can remove a wide majority of scratches and blemishes safely with the right foam pads/products and techniques.

Unless you have previous experience with rotary polisher use, I would shy away from this version unless you are very confident in your ability. Pros use it because it works very fast and saves time.

Blackhawk777

I've had quite a bit of experience with a rotary, but the porter cable looks alot easier for home use.

Gipraw

iTrader: (10)

for home use, the PC is what I would recommend simply because you can handle the majority of the driveway type stuff without really worrying about causing any damage.

If you are going to be doing a lot of defect correction, then go with the rotary.

as far as a a rotary goes.. I had my last makita for about 10 years before it gave out .. I replaced it with a Dewalt, and have been pleased with it ..

when the dewalt finally gives up .. I will buy whichever I can get the better deal on ..

Avengeance

iTrader: (4)

You know.. I used to be really intimidated by my rotary. I used a PC for 8 months with GREAT results before I finally switched over. I even bought my rotary and had it for a couple months before I decided to actually use it on a customers car.

Now... my PC collects dust. If its possible I will use my rotary for the whole car. I do still use my PC with the 4" pads for small areas... but thats about it.

If you dont own a machine yet... start with the PC to get your technique down. Once you are comfortable get a rotary and practice on some junk cars... or go to a local bodyshop and see if theyll give you some scrap panels to practice on.

Fast_94_Z

iTrader: (12)

if you have never used a rotary definately start with the porter cable or if you wanna right off the bat start with a rotary like said above find somewhere to get a test panel. also if for tight area matco,blue point, and mac all make 3" pnuematic buffers that work awesome. ive had my little one for a couple years and it works great for doing the tight edges on the ws6 hood and ss hoods. main reason being is that i use all foam pads and not the traditional wool pad because you dont get as heavy of swirl marks with a foam pad but the problem with it is it doesnt flex as well.

mcalus

iTrader: (14)

Personally im for DeWalt

Gipraw

iTrader: (10)

I still grab the PC first the majority of the time these days simply because it follows the axiom of always using the least agressive method, and saving time is very seldom a concern for me when I am doing a car.

I am also the exact opposite of most people on here.. I probably had 15 years and several thousand cars under my belt before I ever used anything else BUT a rotary.

Fast_94_Z

iTrader: (12)

yeah i prefer my rotary over a dual action polisher any day. i have 3 different size rotary buffers that i use for different things. i got the 3" 6" and 8" i only use the foam pads and all 3m compounds followed by the persons perfered wax or my prefered wax. just the dual action polishers are completely idiot proof and you cant mess your paint up with one.